The Greatest Design

Today our child was born and I planted a garden.

Mankind seems to have an innate yearning to build, to create, to design. As artists and designers, we are inevitably drawn to mimic nature – to create something as intricate, extraordinary and beautiful as mother nature provides. It’s the ultimate achievement. Michelangelo’s David, for example, is virtually a perfect recreation of man’s figure (large scale), and thus is considered one of the greatest works of art in history.

Many of the processes of human life and nature continue to confound even the greatest minds today. We know very little about how the human brain works, we still can’t predict weather patterns, and we have no idea what matter makes up our universe. The enigma of life and nature are what make it so captivating and alluring.

When my daughter was born just a few hours ago, I stood in awe as I witnessed one of the most stunning opportunities in life–to take part in the creation of another human being. This new form has has over 100 billion nerve cells, 300 bones, and an ability to think, learn and love.

The human body is the greatest “design” that has or ever will take place, and as the basil, peas, and tomatoes germinate and flourish in my backyard, I’ll appreciate and remember the processes of life that inspire and encourage me to create something new and great everyday. This is my goal as a designer, to create artifacts that encourage human interaction and somehow remind them of themselves–something beautifully complex.